Okay Here is the gist. This week was great x 10.
Last Monday. There was a Young Single Adult activity! Oh my goodness it was so fun... Sister Brown and Sister Sanvien (the 2 Senior Sisters) prepared bags of cookies for all of us to go and hand out to random citiznes just as a service and let them know we believe in doing good! It was basically just like inviting except a million times more fun because the members were with us. Wow Family.. I wish I could explain just how amazing amazing wonderful incredible these members are. They are such dear and wonderful friends. Already! Sister Embley and I went out with Sister Gaw (wow... I love her so much... More on her later...), Bro Sam (whoa.. He is a convert of a year.. And is on the Branch counsel... He is incredible! He has that desease they did the water bucket challenge thing for? But that doesn't stop him.. He works.. And works.. All for the church.. All for others. All for the missionaries. And he is SO happy. Oh i love him! He even learned how to play "A Sky Full of Stars" on the piano for me because he knew it is my favorite! I heard it... But didn't listen of course. :P).. And with Bro cake.. Sister Noon.. Oh all of them So amazing.
tuesday... District meeting... We have such an awesome. And HUGE district.. 12 missionaries.. whoa! The Brown's leave next Monday! :( They did so much good here... They helped so many people.. They will not be forgotten.
Wednesday
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Thursday: Was Khuu's with Sister Tauteoli! (Sister Embley and Sumitra are both STL's so they had to go to the special training in Bangkok).. We had fun together! We would have never thought that we would've been together when we were in the MTC... And here we are.. 2 week shy of SIX MONTHS LATER... Where is the time going?
Friday: MISSION TRAINING! Some inspired changes are happening here in the TBM. Thailand Bangkok Mission. literally The Best Mission... :)... We are redirecting our focus a little .. We baptized almost 2000 people last year.. (oh my word that is so incredible..).. This year.. The vision is this.. We are redoubling our diligence.. redoubling our efforts.. And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of mytemple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.To bring in the families of these 2000... The FAMILY. I found my purpose here in Thailand. And we will bring them in one by one... One family at a time. :) I have a testimony of the family. Family is the most important thing in the entire world.. universe. Everything! These Thai people they will know that by the time by the time I am through with them! Families.. Are so important. Our duty here.. Is to build up the kingdom of God.. We are truly building... We all need to help build. The building begins in the home. In the family.
Saturday:
While helping Sister Stoker translate for the district training.. I had a few things dawned on me.. All my life I have been a member of this church.. And all my life I have doing it wrong. We are really truly building God's Kingdom here in Thailand.. And all over the world... In our homes.. In our hearts. We cannot leave it up to the leaders of the church to do all of the work... Service.. Oh everyone in the church needs to work together... Serve together. This isn't a get up in the morning.. spend 2 hours getting ready... go to church.. come home.. eat.. and then sleep kind of church. It is all about serving others. Helping others endure to the end... Helping others know they are loved and cared about. It is not an "all about YOU" kind of church. But then in the midst of it... Just like in Elder bednar's talk ....it BEcomes about you. Because you BEcome. As you serve.
This week I BEcame as I served I helped 4 members create a family history account and helped them enter a family member... And taught them how to do it on their own.. Wow that was so fufilling..
I BEcame as I helped my sweet investigator Jina learn about how because God loves her so much... She can be with her family forever.
Therefore I would that ye should BE(come) perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Endless opportunities to serve surround us.. Comfort others.. Make them feel loved.. Take them an apple, a potato :), a card, a hug, a smile. Show them they are more important than a check mark on a list... Help them believe and understand that God loves them. These people are out brothers and Sisters!! They NEED to know they have a Redeemer. They NEED to know that eternal families are a real real thing. This gospel is a REAL thing.. Just think of how amazing that is.
Sunday: wow Best SUNDAY EVER> I had called a guy that morning to come to church.. Ned.. And he came... And he is GOLDEN. SO COOL! He had so many questions.. And was so inpsired by the words one of the Elders added in class.. *When thoughts come into your head during a lesson... share them! I would say most of the time.. Those thoughts are not for you... But what someone else needed...* What else.. Sacrament meeting in branch was so amazing.. It was the first sacrament meeting that I have understood.... In a long time. And wow it was so wonderful. Sister Gaw gave her homecoming talk. 1. I love her. I am so grateful for her example.. I look up to her so much. I will be good friends with her for the rest of my life. 2. I understood her ENTIRE talk. 1. The Gift of Tongues.. Is REAL 2. I love to listen to people speak Tahi when they can speak English too.. It is so much easier to understand! And it makes it so much easier to turn your mind set to listening and understanding when other non English speakers speak Thai... God is real. Thai is good.
There were 3 baptisms on Sunday. Oh my good... These people are amazing.. They were probably the most sincere and incredibly testimonies I have heard so far being here... You could tell.. That they all knew it was true. BECAUSE IT IS TRUE! Oh it is so true... Our investigator Jina was there for the baptism.. Afterwords she was so flustered for words.. She was barely able to tell me how excited she was to get baptized. She is 15.. Which typically means they would need to wait 3 months and get permission.... She wants to be baptized on Valentines Day... THIS WEEK. <3 miracles. Miracles... God is SO good.
Monday.. Today.. We went to a wat. I was legit! But not as cool as the millions of miracles and times I felt the spirit this week.
God is so good family.
Pray. He IS listening.
He will answer.
In honor of one of the best holidays out there... Happy Valentines to all of you... To my wonderful family and friends... The people I love more than anything in the world!
There is my rant.. That I could go on and on.
God is real.
I LOVE being a missionary.
As my wonderful Sister Jackson would say..
Ever Upwards.
Love,
Sister Coates
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